Tufting attachment for sewing machines



W. F. SCHMIEDEL Filed April 19, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mwwmzw Sept. 8, 1936.

TUFTING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII munmmm II-II/I/illllllll p 6- w. F. SCHMIEDEL 2,053,921

TUFTING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 19, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE William F. Schmiedel, Oshkosh, Wis., assignor to Deltox Rug Company, Oshkosh, Wis., a corporation of Wisco Application April 19, 1935, Serial No. 17,177

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tufting attachments for sewing machines. 7

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a tufting attachment adaptable to a standard form of sewing machine and necessitating relatively little modification of the sewing machine.

In copending application Serial No. 724,104, filed May 5, 1934, there is disclosed a certain form of sewing machine having certain attachments to adapt the machine to the sewing of lines of tuft producing stitching. Included in said attachments is a reciprocating bar adapted to hold portions of the yarn of a loop against a serrated work supporting plate, whereby during cutting operations the pull will be against the yarn and will not be imparted to, nor strain the fabric to the extent that loops might be pulled "outwardly too far with respect to the surface of the fabric.

It has been found, in the type of sewing machines equipped with tufting attachments of the class referred to, that the fabric, when penetrated by the needle and especially between formed stitches, is subjected to severe strain, by being pulled downwardly into the needle slot of the work supporting plate. This resultis especially noticeable on lighter fabrics such as are used for bed-spreads, and so forth, and is detrimental to the fabric and to the stitching attained.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to overcome the above objections by incorporating in a sewing machine, and with the reciprocating bar previously mentioned, a movable finger, adapted to move into and out of position below the needle slot of the work supporting plate to afford temporary support for that portion of the fabric which might be strained by being pulled inwardly too far when being pierced by the needle during stitch forming operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a work supporting finger associated with the yarn pinching bar in a manner so as to have reciprocatory and pivotal movements, and arranged so as to be brought into operation when the bar has moved so as to release the yarn of a loop.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character described which operates to hold the yarn on one side of the needle to maintain a desirable opening between the yarn and needle to facilitate entry of the looper for loop forming operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tufting attachment for sewing machines which is of very simple construction, is strong and durable and inexpensive, which is automatic in its operation, and which is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved tufting attachment for sewing machines, and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the 10 samereference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a'longitudinal vertical sectional view of a portion of a sewing machine equipped with tufting attachments and the additional fabric supporting member constituting the feature of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1 with additional portions broken away and in section to show constructional details;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 and on a'larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig, 3 only showing the needle down and. other associated parts in different positions;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the needle down and the corresponding position of the fabric supporting finger;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view showing the needle down and the corresponding positions of the associated parts;

Fig. 7 is an enlargeddetailed plan view of the improved reciprocal yarn pinching bar and fabric supporting finger; and

Fig. 8 is a side view thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will appear that the sewing machine head is indicated generally by' the numeral l2 and said head includes a base portion l3. Extended lon- 40 gitudinally below the base l3, mounted in suitable bearings, is an oscillatory drive shaft 14. The means for driving the drive shaft is described in detail in copending application Serial No. 724,104, filed May 5, 1934, and the motivating member is a pulley shaft carrying a pulley in the usual manner. Through proper connections therewith a crank arm I! is operated and the lower end portion of said crank arm is pivotally secured to a portion of a slotted casting l8, and said casting is mounted fast on an intermediate portion of a lower rocking stud shaft l9. The adjacent end of the drive shaft M has fast thereon an arm 20, and the other end portion of said arm carries a block 2| which is movably engaged within a slot in the casting l8. By means of these connections, when the pulley shaft is turned, os-

cillatory movement will be imparted to the drive shaft I 4.

Above the end of the base l3 opposite the head 12 there are mounted the usual vertical feeding foot and presser foot carrying rods 23 and 24. One of said rods carries an outer bifurcated element 26 of a presser foot, while the other rod carries an inner feeding foot element 21 adapted to be reciprocated in a horizontal path relative to the outer foot element 26. Also, during certain portions of the movement of said foot element 21, it is raised and lowered slightly with respect to the work supporting plate 23 over which it is disposed. Conventional means are employed for alternately reciprocating the rods 23 and 24 vertically and for also reciprocating the rod 23 horizontally in the line of feed. A sewing needle 29 is supported in the usual manner and said sewing needle is adapted to be reciprocated orbitally vertically and through an opening in the foot element 21, and also through a needle slot 30 in the work supporting plate 28.

Disposed below the base I3, transversely thereof and adjacent the needle slot 30, is a slotted supporting bracket 34. Within the slot thereof is slidably mounted a plate 35. One end portion of said plate has vertically adjustably secured thereto the depending portion 36 of a looper 31. The looper 31 projects substantially right-angularly from the upper portion of the member 36 and said looper member has a shoulder 38 at its outer end portion. A cutter 40 is removably held to the looper 31, and the cutting edge of the cutter is disposed at a slight angle with respect to the edge of the looper. The cutter terminates short of the shouldered portion of the looper but is arranged to form an angularly disposed extension of the effective edge of the looper. Secured to the opposite end portion of the plate 35 is a laterally offset needle guide 4|.

As previously mentioned, the drive shaft 14 has an oscillatory movement imparted thereto. The end of said shaft l4 adjacent the looper mechanism has fast thereon a wheel 42. A block 43 is pivotally secured to the outer face of said wheel in an off-center relationship. Said block, while being free to move on its pivot 44, is slidably confined within a vertical slot 45 in a rear extension of the looper slidable plate 35. Through this connection, therefore, oscillatory movement of the shaft I4 is translated into reciprocatory movement imparted to the plate 35, which plate, carrying the combined cutter and looper, causes said member to move back and forth adjacent the needle 29 and below the work supporting plate 28. In said copending application, previously referred to, there is provided a yarn strand pinching bar 46. This bar is slidably mounted longitudinally of the base l3 immediately below the top surface thereof. In the present invention said reciprocating bar 46 is modifled and augmented over the bar disclosed insaid previously mentioned copending application. An intermediate portion of said bar is provided with an angular offset portion 41 adapted to cooperate with certain plate portions for temporary pinching or engagement of the yarn. An inner portion of said reciprocatory bar 46 carries on its lower surface a depending block 48 which is longitudinally movable in a slot 49 in a lower supporting plate 50. Said bar 46 is slidable on the upper portion of said plate 50. between the same and the work supporting plate 28 of the base 53. Mounted fast on the drive shaft i l, below the block 413, is a cam 5i having an eccentric cam groove 52. A cam roller 53 is adapted to ride in said cam groove and said roller is. carried by a pin 54 depending from the block 48 of the bar it. The cam groove is so shaped that through the connections with the bar 48, when the needle 29 is in raised position shown in Fig. 1, the offset 41 of the bar 46 will be away from impinging position relative to the yarn and cooperating plate portions. During other positions of the needle there is a relationship between the movement of the bar 46, the needle and the looper-cutter 31. During continued travel of the needle the pressure foot reciprocates to move the fabric and. during this period the cam 5| causes a quick short movement of the bar 46 so as to cause disengagement of the same with respect to the yarn.

A piece of fabric 55, of a predetermined size to form a bed-spread or other piece of covering, is positioned on the base 13 and work supporting plate and the strand of yarn 56, or other material to be used, is threaded through the needle 29 and when sewed through the material and cut, forms lines of tufts on one surface of the fabric.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 7 and 8, it will appear that the reciprocatory bar 45, laterally of the portion 41, is provided with a fiat extension portion 51 which, at its extremity, is movably supported on roller bearings 58. Pivotally mounted on the upper face of said extension 51 is a disc 59 having a relatively narrow and elongated extension finger 60. The disc 59 and finger are housed within a recess 6! therefor in the plate 62 which is complementary to the work supporting plate 28. The finger 50 and disc 59 may be pivoted in a counter-clockwise direction, with respect to the drawings, against the tension of a coiled spring 63 anchored to an ear 64 on said disc and also to the bar extension 51. Obviously, as the bar 46 is reciprocated by the means previously described, the disc 59 and finger 69 will be reciprocated and the reciprocation of the finger 60 takes place in a slot 65 provided therefor in the work supporting plate 28 just below its top surface and laterally of the needle slot 30. Under certain conditions the end portion of the finger 50 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 into the position shown in Fig. 5

wherein it extends across the needle slot 30.

Inasmuch as the needle has an orbital movement, the needle, when moved into the needle slot,

-would be barred from movement in an orbital path, but for the pivotal movement permitted the finger 60. Hence, when the needle is in the slot and commences to move longitudinally thereof it will contact the finger 60 and swing it, against the tension of the spring 63, to the dotted line position in Fig. 5, to permit the needle to move free of the finger 60.

The outer free end of the looper is beveled to permit easy entrance between the needle side and the strand in forming the loops. At the time that the needle is down the finger 60 has been projected across the needle slot 30 and forms a support for a portion of the fabric whereby the fabric will not be carried down too far in the needle slot. This takes place upon every downward movement of the needle so that each portion of the fabric between stitches is actually supported and is not strained too severely by the needle during the fabric piercing operations. It therefore serves to enhance the quality of the stitches as well as'to protect the fabric from being strained between stitches. Due to the fact that said finger B0 is mounted on the reciprocal bar 46, said finger is projected into fabric supporting position at a time when the bar is reciprocated to a position to release its hold on the yarn.

Consequently the yarn is loose but the finger 60 also prevents improper disposition of the yarn and holds the yarn laterally of the needle so that the looper has easy entrance between it and the needle side in each loop forming operation. The shoulder 38, at the outer end of the looper, prevents the loops from slipping off when thelooper is reciprocated rearwardly. In the formation of a loop the yarn 56 has an upwardly extending portion which engages against a portion of the work plate and this portion of the yarn is engaged by the bar extension 41 when the bar is reciprocated in the reverse direction for pinching operations.

In operation, the needle 29 having the strand threaded therethrough reciprocates downwardly through the fabric and through the needle slot 30 of the plate 28. When the needle is moved upwardly the yarn is caused to slacken, and at the same time the looper plate, carrying the looper and cutter, will move forwardly, to cause the outer end of the looper to move between the strand and the needle to a point where the looper shoulder 38 has passed beyond the strand. As the needle rises out of the fabric, the feeding members 26 and 21 operate to push the fabric rearwardly and the looper frame also reciprocates rearwardly. During this period the upwardly extending strand portion is engaged by the portion 41 of the bar 46 and as the bar 46 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 at this point the finger 60 is removed from the needle slot 30 and is not in work supporting position. After reaching its highest point the needle starts downwardly and during the downward movement thereof, while the needle is piercing the fabric,'the bar 46 reciprocates to the position shown in Fig. 5 so that the finger 60 projects across the needle slot 30 and supports a portion of the fabric, temporarily, for the purpose previously described. As previously mentioned, during the upward movement of the needle it moves in an orbital path and therefore swings the finger 60 to the out-of-the-way dotted line position in Fig. 5 and ultimately thebar 46 reciprocates so as to return the finger to the position of Fig. 2. During reciprocations of the looper frame, a loop on the looper is crowded onto the cutter 40 while another loop is being formed, and reciprocation of the cutter serves to successively sever each loop thus moved onto the cutter. The actual severing operations take place when the bar 46 is in the position of Fig. 2 with the portion 41 effective to pinch and hold the yarn. The cut loops form tufts on the fabric and as the work progresses said tufts move re'arwardly in the elongated needle slot and are accommodated thereby. When the tufts reach the end of the needle slot they are withdrawn therefrom by the rearward movement of the fabric.

It will be understood that a number of the tufting attachments may be mounted on the same sewing machine to permit sewing a plurality of rows of stitches at the same time.

From'the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved tufting attachment is of simple and novel construction, requires little modification of a standard sewing machine, supports the fabric so as to prevent strain thereon and to secure a superior quality of stitching, and is well adapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a tufting attachment for a sewing machine, the machine having a slotted work supporting plate and a reciprocating, laterally movaneedle for penetrating a fabric on said plate and carrying a strand which is passed through the fabric by the needle, means temporarily movable into position adjacent the slot in the plate to support fabric portions there adjacent din'ing certain positions of the needle, and during other positions ofthe needle said means being engaged by the needle and moved thereby out of supporting position. 2. In a tufting attachment for a sewing machine, the machine having a slotted work supporting plate and a reciprocating, laterally movable needle for penetrating a fabric on said plate and carrying a strand which is passed through the the fabric by the needle, reciprocating means mounted adjacent the slot in the plate and movable rectilineally into and out of position to temporarily support depressed fabric portions during-penetration of the fabric by the needle, and during other positions of the needle said means being engaged by the needle and moved thereby out of supporting position.

3. In a tufting attachment for a sewing machine, the machine having a slotted work supporting plate and a reciprocating needle for penetrating a fabric on said plate and carrying a strand which is passed through the fabric by the needle, a fabric supporting 'member mounted adjacent the slot in the plate, means for automatically, I periodically reciprocating said supporting member across said slot in synchrbny with penetrating movements of the needle, and means permitting pivotal movement of said supporting member when engaged by the needle.

4. A tufting attachment mechanism for sew-- ing machines having a slotted work plate and a reciprocating and laterally movable needle for penetrating and carrying a strand through fablooper-cutter for forming and severing loops, a reciprocal finger movable below the slot in the work plate for the temporary support of fabric portions, and means permitting pivotal movement, of said finger when engaged by the needle.

5. A tufting attachment mechanism for sew-' ing machines having a slotted work plate and a reciprocating needle for penetrating and carrying a strand through fabric on said work plate, comprising a reciprocal looper-cutter for forming and severing loops, a reciprocal bar formed with pinching means momentarily engaging portions of formed loops, and a fabric supporting finger pivotally carried by said bar to position below the slot in the work plate.

6. In a sewing machine having the usual needle, work feed, means for guiding a strand to the needle, and drive shaft, a fabric supporting plate having an elongated needle slot, the needle reciprocating through the slot and fabric to suecessively carry the strand through the fabric and below the supporting plate, a reciprocal bar mounted below said supporting plate and having an extension portion and an intermediate yarn pinching portion adjacent the needle slot, a looper-cutter member below the needle slot and arranged to successively pass into and engage loops formed during upward reciprocations of the needle and to cut formed and engage 1 8 finger pivotally mounted on the extension P01- ric on said work plate, comprising a reciprocal 4 2,oss,e21

tion of said bar, and means for reciprocating the the other direction causing said yarn pinching needle, the looper-cutter member, and the bar, p rtion to disengage the y rn nd m vin ai the reciprocation of the bar in one direction refinger into fabric supporting position across said moving the finger from below the needle slot and needle slot.

causing the yarn pinching portion to engage WILLIAM F. SCHMIEDEL.

' the yarn, and the reciprocation of the bar in 

